Fouling, i.e., the accumulation of unwanted material, of underwater ship hulls significantly degrades the performance of the ship by increasing hydrodynamic drag, which reduces the ship's maximum speed and fuel efficiency. Consequently, operating costs for ships with greater fouling on their hulls are greater than for ships with less fouling on their hulls.
It has been estimated that the Navy will save $30M-$60M per year in propulsive fuel as a result of cleaning biofouling. Current Navy waterborne hull cleaning methods include the deployment of remotely operated vehicles (“ROV”) that are extremely large (approximately the size of a single-person submarine) to remove the biofouling by aggressive cleaning methods. Although this method is more efficient than dry-docking the vessels for partial or full removal and replacement of the vessel's underwater hull coating system, the method is still not ideal due to the high cost of the ROVs and their aggressive cleaning methods that frequently results in the release of toxins (Cu and Zn) into the surrounding waters.